BAM bags five academies jobs in two weeks

BAM Construction has won five academy jobs in the past two weeks, bringing the number of schemes the contractor has won to nine, Building understands.

Today the firm announced it has been appointed the preferred contractor for the £11.5m All Saints Academy as well as the £9.6m Marine Academy, both in Plymouth.

Building understands the firm has also been appointed to three further academy jobs - which are yet to be announced, but are in the north, south east and midlands - bringing to nine the total the contractor has won.

The wins edges BAM close to Balfour Beatty, which as Building reported last week, had snared nine of the government’s fast-track academies, where a bidder has actually been selected.

A total of 71 fast-track academies will be built under the schools capital programme, announced by education secretary Michael Gove last year as a stop gap between the cancelled £55bn Building Schools for the Future Programme, and the government’s £2bn Priority Schools Building programme, which has been repeatedly delayed.

BAM has also won Kings Science Academy in Bradford, Kearsley Academy in Bolton, Aylesbury Vale Academy in Buckinghamshire, and Hackney UTC in London, since the framework was unlocked by the government in June.

On the All Saints job BAM beat off competition from Cowlin Construction and will partner with architect White Design on the project providing 4200 sq m of new build and a complete remodelling and refurbishment of the 1980’s east wing building.

On the Marine Academy project BAM beat Leadbitter and will partner with architect Stride Treglowen.

Graham Kingdon, area manager for BAM Construction, said: “We are very pleased to have been awarded preferred bidder on [the All Saints] contract, particularly after also winning the preferred bidder on Plymouth UTC and the Marine Academy Plymouth.

“Winning these contracts has been a key target for us as we want to invest in Plymouth as many of our staff and supply chain partners live and work in the area.

“We see Plymouth as an up and coming city and an important place to be doing business. This is why we have targeted these contracts and have worked extremely hard to offer the city extremely good value for money.”